Tender signed for bridge repair

 

BY JULIA WADE

Repairs to one of Mangawhai’s vital arterial bridges can finally move forward now a suitable company has signed up for the task.

At the recent July Kaipara District Council (KDC) meeting, council awarded Freyssinet NZ Ltd the $2.05 million contract to repair and remediate Tomarata Bridge, colloquially known as Insley Street Bridge, which was deemed unsafe in December 2018 after structural defects caused by age, sea water and corroding concrete, were discovered.

Freyssinet is a leading provider of specialist property and infrastructure post-tensioning, civil engineering, remediation and upgrades. The company will start repairs on the bridge in late August, with works scheduled to be completed by Christmas 2019 to minimise any disturbance to the holiday crowds and summertime traffic. 

Throughout the duration of the repair time, the bridge may have to be closed completely, however KDC’s general manager for infrastructure, Jim Sephton, says they will work to minimise this disruption, and notify residents well in advance. 

“The entire team working on the repair are committed to minimising disturbances to traffic flow,” he says. “The bridge will remain under restricted single lane closure throughout the duration of the contracted repair, however we’ll proactively communicate to the public and affected parties any changes to the projected work plans and timetables. I thank the community and all those who have been patient under the circumstances so far, and look forward to work getting under way.”  

Further updates on the progress of the bridge repair will follow. 

Traffic queues on one of Mangawhai’s busiest arterial routes will hopefully be a thing of the past with repairs to Insley Street Bridge scheduled to be completed by Christmas. PHOTO/JULIA WADE